Eating in Philippines
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Cooking terms
What's in your menu?
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Adobo/Inadobo - Cooked in soy sauce
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Tostado/Tostadong - Toasted
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Guisa/Ginisa/Ginisang - Stir fried
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Torta/Tinorta - Omelette
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Asado/Inasado - Grilled
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Tapa/Tinapa - Dried or smoked, tinapa usually is dried fish while tapa usually refers to "beef tapa"
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Lechon/Nilechon - Roasted
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Laga/Nilaga/Nilagang - Boiled
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Prito/Pritong/Piniritong - Fried
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Paksiw/Pinaksiw - Cooked in vinegar
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Nilasing - Cooked in alcoholic beverage, from lasing meaning drunk
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Sariwa/Hilaw - Fresh
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Daing/Dinaing - Dried fish
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Filipino cuisine has developed from the different cultures that shaped its history. As such, it is a melange of Chinese, Malay, Spanish, European and American influences. Though its cuisine is not as renowned as many of its neighbours, such as that of Thailand and Vietnam, Filipino cooking is nonetheless distinct in that it is possibly the least spicy of all South East Asian cuisines. Don't make the mistake of thinking that Filipino food is bland, though. It is just that instead of spices, Filipino food depends more on garlic, onions and ginger to add flavor to dishes. Painstaking preparation and prolonged cooking time is also a characteristic of most Filipino dishes, and when done properly is often what brings out the flavor of the food as, opposed to a healthy dose of spices.
Kamayan, literally means Eating with Hands. Some Filipinos who were born and raised in rural provinces still eat with their hands, mostly at their homes during mealtimes. They would often say that Kamayan makes food taste better. Wash your hands clean before attempting this to avoid illnesses. Almost all Filipinos in the urban areas though use spoons, forks and knives. Eating with hands in public is not uncommon however if you're eating in a mid-range and splurge restaurant this may be considered rude.
To experience how the Filipinos eat in a budget way, Carenderias (food stalls) and Turo-turo (meaning Point-point, which actually means you point at the food you want to eat in the buffet table) are some of the options. Mains cost less than $1. Carenderias serve food cooked earlier and it may not always be the safest of options.
As with the rest of Southeast Asia, rice is the staple food of the Philippines. Some areas in the Visayas prefer corn but elsewhere Filipinos would generally have rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Uncooked rice usually comes in 50kg sacks but can be bought by the kilogram at the wet market or at neighborhood rice dealers. Single servings of rice are readily available at fastfood restaurants or eateries.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Philippines
